Pyotr groaned as he slowly regained conscious. There was a flaring pain on the left side of his head. He slowly cracked his right eye open, holding a paw up to shield himself against the bright light.
“Oh? You’re awake” a feminine, if a bit gravely, voice said sounding amused.
Pyotr managed to turn his head slowly to see a mostly white, probably from age, furred Diamond Dog sitting there with a white vest on, a red cross on the right lapel. She was holding a clipboard with a quill, setting it down on a stand to the right of his bed.
“W-where am I?” Pyotr managed in a whisper.
“In the infirmary of King Brutus’s castle” the nurse said. “The Princess Amethyst had brought you here.”
“What h-happened to me?” Pyotr coughed, rubbing his face. “Why can’t I see out my left eye?”
Here the nurse started looking a tad apprehensive. “Well, Princess Amethyst had shot you just above your left eye with a bolt from a crossbow. Luckily for you, the bow had been slightly damaged and the force behind the arrow was decreased. And if that wasn’t enough, the particular arrow fired also happened to be slightly dulled so it didn’t fully penetrate your skull and pierce your brain. It did however do nerve damage and blinded your left eye.”
His left eye . . . blinded? He tried blinking his left eyelid and felt it move, if a bit erratically, but he could see nothing. Taking a small shuddering breath, he pushed himself up into a seated position.
“So, what happens to me now?” Pyotr asked, trying to ignore his new handicap.
“Now I let the guard outside know you are awake to alert the Princess who will then proceed to decide what we are to do with a half-blood Diamond Dog who took out nearly twenty guards out like you” the old nurse laughed as she stood up and walked out.
“Half-blood, the hell does that mean?” Pyotr muttered as he decided to make himself comfortable as he waited for the Princess.
Ten minutes later, she strode in still wearing the ankh earrings and white dress. She studied him for a moment, saying nothing as Pyotr did the same. They continued watching each other for what felt like an hour till she spoke.
“So, it seems you are capable of patience after all. Or at least, smart enough to know to let your betters talk before you” Princess Amethyst said with a smirk.
Pyotr said nothing before shaking his head and looking at the Princess. “Sorry, you say something?”
Her smirk vanished faster than a cupcake being held before Pinkie Pie, her eyes narrowing.
“But I could be wrong and you could be a fool who doesn’t realize how lucky he is to be alive.”
“I’d rather be a live fool than a dead genius” Pyotr shot back. Talking to the one responsible for blinding his eye hadn’t left him in a good mood.
“Keep this up and you’ll be a dead fool. Now, it seems that your fate has been left up to me thanks to my father” she said cupping her chin with a paw.
Either her father was a lazy mutt or felt that she should decide what to do with him since she did in fact shoot him in the face and then save his life.
“After much thought, I’ve come up with three options” the Princess said holding up a paw with three digits extended. “Option one, I keep you as a pet, my personal toy to do with as I see fit. Option two, you join the guard and serve for five years and then discharged, allowing you to do whatever you see fit.”
“Why let me join the guard?” Pyotr interrupted.
“Word of what you’ve done has reached my father’s ear and he was impressed, at least enough to consider letting you into the guard” she continued, ignoring the interruption. “Finally option three, you fight in a death match with a warrior of our choosing. You win and you go free. Lose, well that should be obvious.”
“Service to you, service to your father, or a high death risk on the third. Tough call” Pyotr said dryly. “But if there’s one thing I know, it’s a death fight. I’ll take option three.”
She raised an eyebrow at this. “Pity, I was hoping you choose option one. I wondered what it would be like to see you in a dress.” She shook her and cleared her throat. “Very well, tomorrow you shall be escorted to the arena to fight. We’ll see tomorrow if your determination is strong enough to get you out of this.”
“I’ve been in enough death matches to know how to survive, I’ll be fine” Pyotr said lying back down.
Princess Amethyst shook her head again before walking towards the door. “Oh, before I go, what is your name? My father will be announcing you tomorrow and will need a name to announce.”
A name? Pyotr silently cursed himself, he hadn’t thought of that. Pyotr was too different, too foreign. He needed something that could blend in better with the locals. It was a fresh start, a spark to light the fire of adventure, cheesy as that sounded.
“Flynt, my name is Flynt” Pyotr said, keeping his straight face on.
“Flynt?” she said, rolling it off her tongue. “Odd name, but you are an odd half-blood. Very well, Flynt. Prepare yourself for tomorrow as it may be your last.”
Pyotr, now Flynt, watched her leave and the old nurse come back in. “Tell me, what did you and the Princess mean by half-blood?”
The nurse looked at him in surprise. “You don’t know? I thought it was common knowledge around here.”
“I’m not exactly from around here” Flynt said. “I was raised in pony territory by an old gryphon and he wasn’t exactly in the know about Diamond Dogs.”
“True, those flying chickens wouldn’t know much about us” the nurse said dryly. “Very well, I will tell you. As you’ve probably seen, there are two different types of us Diamond Dogs. The ones you’ve probably seen in the pony territory, the ones who’ve given in to their greed and let it affect their appearances. They are called the Tainted on the account they have lost their natural appearance. While losing their once distinguished looks and most of their intelligence they now possess greater strength and endurance, making them tough foes to face.”
Flynt could remember back to the episode, their mutt like faces and brute strength along with their broken speech. The Mane Six had a tough time beating them, it was only thanks to Rarity’s high pitched whining they weren’t put into slavery.
“Then there’s us” the nurse continued. “We’re the ones who have not sunk into our greed like the Tainted have and as such we retain our more dignified appearance. Though, we are not as strong as the Tainted are but we’re faster and are smarter by far.”
“Then what about me? You said I was a half-blood” Flynt said.
“I was getting to that” she admonished. “Now, for some reason there has never been a recorded case of a female Tainted, only males. So it goes without saying that the male Tainted rape the non-Tainted females.”
“So you’re saying I’m a by product of rape?” Flynt said, trying to sound disgusted. If that was the reason why he looked the way he did he had to make sure he played his role well otherwise he could end up in hot water pretty fast.
“Don’t blame yourself, it’s not your fault” the nurse said sympathetically, placing a paw on his shoulder. “Now you need to rest, if you want to survive tomorrow then you’ll need all your energy back.”
Flynt nodded and let his eyes drift slowly shut. “Thank you, um. I don’t believe I got your name” Flynt said, looking sheepish.
“It’s Sakura dear” she said. “Now rest.”
“Flynt Ironpaw?” the gruff Diamond Dog said, looking up from his anvil and setting his hammer down.
“I don’t recall the Ironpaw being part of the name” Flynt said uneasily. When he awoke in the infirmary, Sakura was gone and a guard was in her place. He escorted Flynt without a word to the armory for his fight. There, he met Sprocket the forge dog.
His face was scarred along with a few other areas like his arms and chest, showing that he was no stranger to combat. Judging from memory, Sprocket appeared to resemble a Great Dane.
“Guards started passing it around when word of you beating nearly twenty guards with your bare paws while they were wearing armor” Sprocket growled as he stood up, forcing Flynt to look up. “The Princess wanted you to last a bit longer to give the crowd a bit more entertainment before you died. Waste of time if you ask me.”
“But I didn’t ask you” Flynt growled back. “Now are you going to give me something to kill with or are you my opponent and your strategy is to talk me to death?”
Sprocket bared his teeth and growled again, right in Flynt’s face. They stared each other down, refusing to look away. Surprisingly, Sprocket broke first by leaning back and laughing.
“You’ve got fire in you pup, I like that” Sprocket chortled. “Just hope that fire doesn’t get put out today. Now come on, let’s get you equipped.”
Sprocket led Flynt through some weapon racks and armor stands, pointing some out and saying some useful tips about some while denouncing others. It seemed Flynt couldn’t find anything when he spotted an armor stand at the end, covered in cloth. He pulled it off and gasped at what he saw.
It was a suit of armor, just a upper body piece plus a helmet but it was perfect. It would cover his entire torso with layered plates that would slide in on each other if he were to duck or bend over and slide back out again when standing up. They were thick enough to stop an arrow from piercing but still thin enough to allow mobility. The armor would cover his arms completely, ending in gauntlets that covered his paws with small holes at the ends for his claws to poke through. The helmet was designed for a canine’s head, a metal strip that would run between the eyes and end over the muzzle with the rest covering his cranium with a bit of chain mail coming out the back to cover the neck.
“What about this one?” Flynt said, running a paw over it.
“That one is not for use” Sprocket said firmly, throwing a cloth back over it. “It was my teacher’s last work before he passed the hammer to me and I do not want to lose it.”
“Is it not the purpose of a tool to be used?” Flynt asked taking the cloth back off. “Why make armor if you do not intend for it to save a warrior’s life? It’s no better than a painting in a museum. Pretty to look at but no real use other than to just leave it there and collect dust.”
Sprocket’s eyes softened as he placed a paw onto the armor. “You may be right. I can hear him now, shouting at me for letting something like this go to waste by collecting dust and rust. Very well, I’ll let you wear it but promise me one thing” Sprocket said rounding on Flynt.
“You better damn well survive this fight, I don’t want it ruined by you dieing” Sprocket said poking him in the chest.
“The last time you see this armor is me walking out as a winner and a free dog” Flynt said donning the helmet and the armor. The chest piece was actually a bit large for him but his vest filled in the empty space making it secure.
“You’d better. Here, take these as well” Sprocket said pressing two objects into his paws.
Flynt looked to see what looked like knuckle dusters with spikes at ridges but with a slight difference. At the end of each was a blade, almost seven inches in length. The grips and knuckles were a dark grey while the blade was a non-reflective matte-black.
“I call them paw knives” Sprocket said proudly. “Made for close combat. Good for not only smashing your opponents face in but cutting as well. Two weapons for the price of one.”
“Very nice” Flynt said sliding them on. He gave a few experimental punches and swings with the knives in a reverse grip. “Though instead of paw knives, how about trench knives instead? Anyways, I need to hurry. Thanks for the armor and knives Sprocket!”
“Trench knives huh?” Sprocket muttered, pulling out a second pair as Flynt walked out the door. “That does sound better.”
Flynt sat down on the bench, staring through the portcullis that led into the arena. From what he could see, it was like the roman Coliseum except made out of the same black stone that lined the castle along with much higher walls and fewer seats.
‘Archers on top of the walls at even intervals’ Flynt idly noticed. ‘The high walls are probably meant for any land bound creature with the archers for those with wings. Which means I’m not the first to do this.’
The door to the room slammed open and two guards with spears walked in. The first one started prodding me to the gate, saying nothing and keeping a stoic face.
“Alright, I’m going” Flynt grumbled as he secured his trench knives. “Got anything to drink before I go?”
The one prodding Flynt looked to the one still by the door who shrugged his shoulders and pulled out a canteen, tossing it over. Flynt uncapped and took a sniff, recognizing the smell of alcohol.
“Spasibo (Thank you)” Flynt said gratefully as he took a swig. The alcohol was strong, probably normal by Diamond Dog standard, but thanks to previous drinking plus his body’s new hardiness it was manageable.
The two guards looked at each other, wondering what he had said as the canteen was passed back and the gate opened.
“Presenting, Flynt Ironpaw!” a strong voice shouted.
Flynt strode out to the roars and howls of the audience, all eager to see the new dog get killed. That or just excited to see death of any kind really.
“He will be fighting for his freedom today against our current champion! Win, and he walks out free. Lose, well . . .” a dark chuckle followed this with the audience laughing with him.
Flynt looked up and saw the source of the voice, a rather large Diamond Dog wearing a gem studded crown made out of some kind of golden metal. He knew it wasn’t gold, he didn’t know why or how he knew, but it wasn’t gold. Maybe a different material similar to gold.
‘That must be King Brutus’ Flynt thought, staring. ‘I guess the strongest leads and judging by his size I can tell that he would have no trouble against most challengers.’
“His opponent today is our champion who holds the record of defeating his opponents in less than a minute. His very paws can crush boulders, his bite capable of tearing trees out by the roots, it’s Bowser!”
A loud howl echoed through the coliseum, actually making Flynt stumble for a second. Then he realized it wasn’t the howl, but the trembling earth as something large came out of the other gate across from him. The gate itself was about four stories high, and what came out of it . . .
“Bozhe moĭ! (My God!)” Flynt whispered.
It was two stories tall, grey blue fur with black hatred filled beady eyes. Around its paws were dark stains, most likely blood with even more of it near its mouth. Fangs protruded from its lips and claws raked against the ground as it stomped out of the gate. Around its neck was a blue gem studded collar with a long chain dangling from it.
“I’m supposed to fight this thing?” Flynt whimpered before shaking his head, fire lighting up in his eyes. “No, no time for fear. The bigger they are the harder they fall. And judging by your size, it’s going to be one hell of a fall” Flynt snarled.
“Good luck Ironpaw!” Brutus called out mockingly. “Bowser, kill.”
Bowser roared, the sound wave forcing Flynt back a few inches from it and was pelted by a few strands of saliva.
“Disgusting” Flynt groused flinging off a few loose strands when he noticed a large shadow forming around him. Without thinking, he leapt to the side and narrowly dodged a paw slamming down onto the ground where he once stood.
Bowser growled loudly as his intended target dodged his strike, only a few had been fast enough to dodge it. Turning his paw onto its side, he made a sweeping motion to catch the small annoyance.
Flynt took to all fours as he ran across the ground, the large paw sliding after him. He completed one full rotation when he realized this was not going to get him anywhere. Bowser had size, strength, and more than likely stamina to keep trying to squash him for hours. Flynt on the other hand, er, paw did not.
“New plan” Flynt muttered. He suddenly spun about and charged the sweeping paw. As he neared it, he leapt high into the air and dug a trench knife into one of Bowser’s digits and swung himself up on top of the paw.
He ran down the length of the paw and up the arm straight towards Bowser’s snarling face. He dodged a cross swipe from Bowser’s other paw and leapt forward, both trench knives out ready to dig into the freakishly large dog’s face.
That was the plan but surprisingly Bowser threw his head forward and smashed Flynt away. Flynt bounced along the ground and crashed into the wall, leaving a Diamond Dog shaped crater in it.
Flynt groaned as he tried to pull himself out of the wall but was smashed back by a paw slamming in front of him. If it weren’t that he was alraedy buried in the wall, he would’ve been a smear from the impact.
He felt the paw shift down a bit so that his upper body was uncovered. He could hear Bowser manage a type of chuckle, sounding more like boulders being grated together. He watched as Bowser lifted his other paw and slowly bring it forward, a very large claw aiming for his face.
Managing to pull his arms out in time, he caught the claw only a scant few inches from his face. Flynt was strong, maybe stronger than the average Diamond Dog, but against a Diamond Dog like Bowser? He was but a small rock trying too hold back the ocean.
The claw was coming closer, his death bearing down on him. And for the first time in his life, he could not fight his way out of this.
“Do you wish to live, pup?”
Flynt opened his eyes to see everything frozen. Bowser trying to claw out his face, the crowd frozen in mid cheer, Brutus’s cruel smile from across the arena with Princess Amethyst’s slightly disappointed one next to him.
“Answer me when I talk to you pup!” the voice snarled. “Do you wish to live?”
“Yes, I want to live” Flynt groaned.
“Will you fight for me, kill for me, and even die for me if I should command it?” the voice demanded.
“Up yours!” Flynt growled. “I may have fought for others before but that was on my terms! No one owns me, no one!”
The voice laughed, a cruel laugh that sent shivers down Flynt’s spine. “Oh you have fire within you pup, good. If you had so easily accepted I would have killed you myself.”
“Who are you, what do you want with me?” Flynt demanded.
“Quiet pup!” the voice shouted again. “I will talk, and you will listen! I am the forgotten god of these Diamond Dogs Hircine, lord of the Hunt! You bear the body of my Dogs but the soul of a much greater hunter.”
“You, know what I am?” Flynt wheezed. That headbutt had done more damage than he thought. Probably a few broken ribs and internal bleeding at least.
“Of course I know fool!” Hircine snarled. “Even preoccupied with my Hunt I know what goes on in this realm. Ever since that spawn of Sheogorath brought you here I had my eye on you.”
“Spawn?” Flynt mumbled. “You mean Discord.”
“Is that what it call’s itself?” Hircine mused. “A fitting name for the spawn of the Prince of Madness. But I am not here to talk of that fool with you. I am here to offer you power.”
“Power? What sort of power?” Flynt grunted as he strained to free himself from Bowser’s frozen paw to no avail.
“The power of which to make enemies like this abomination fall to you like the chicken falls to the fox” Hircine said sounding smug. “All that you must do is simply fight for me.”
“I’m pretty sure that somewhere along the line someone decided to play it smart and make sure beings such as yourself couldn’t mess with mortal lives” Flynt said.
Hircine growled at this, remembering the event that prevented him from contacting the Diamond Dogs ever again. “The Contract made so long ago left a loophole. I can no longer interfere with the lives of my hunters but you, you are not one of my own. I ask only one more time, will you fight for me?”
“Another devil, another deal” Flynt sighed shaking his head. “What choice do I have? Fine, give me the power I need to win and I’ll fight for you!”
“Good, now go and strike down this abomination!” Hircine roared. “Hunt well pup, I’ll be watching you.”
Time unfroze and once again Flynt was holding back Bowser’s claw from gouging his face but something felt different.
All the Diamond Dogs watching felt their jaws drop and eyes widen as Bowser was flung back from the hole in the wall. Their jaws were scraping the floor when two glowing orange constructs resembling Diamond Dog arms came out of the wall, one after the other clutching the arena side.
Pulling himself out, Flynt stood proudly as the manifestations of his arms bared their claws. They were half the size of Bowser’s arms but packed just as much strength behind them.
“Alright ugly, round two” Flynt grinned, his fangs glinting in the light.
A/N. Chapter three, done by me. I welcome you all again to the Chronicles of Flynt. Cookie to any who know where Hircine Sheogorath come from. Before any of you start saying he’s going to be overpowered with the new arms, let me stop you right there. Don’t worry, this is a once in a while thing. It will be explained more in the next chapter so just sit tight till then. Remember, reviews and comments are always appreciated. Tell me what you think, if you see any mistakes let me know, and so on. Until next time my friends.